The Abyss 4K Disc - Need Some Help Please

[Electron003]

Greetings,

This will be my first 4K disc.

I have absolutely NO experience whatsoever on these types of discs and how to get them onto my HDD. I have been reading posts on this forum about some of the problems that arise, but they are at this point beyond me. Afraid my memory and old age have something to do with it! So, here goes...

1st - It would appear this three-disc set also contains a 1080 version on a BD50. Is that correct?? Is it both the Theatrical and Special Edition Version?

2nd - Is The Abyss 4K disc something AnyDVD-HD can handle? Is it as simple as putting the disc in the drive and clicking go?

3rd - I have a BH16NS55 (LG) drive I got in 2017. How can I tell if this drive can handle the 4K? Supposedly its spec'd as BDXL rated.

4th - For those of you that have "backed" this up to HDD, what is the final file size of 4K and 1080 version. (How long does it take)?

Appreciate in advance any advice offered. I'm afraid tech is getting somewhat beyond me these days.

 

[DeepSpace]

1. I cannot speak for this specific set, but most times they come with a 1080p BD as well, yes.

2. That depends if the key is in the database. Do you own the set? Then let it just scan the disc and you will see if any issues appear. For example if the drive is not working with it or if the key is not there yet.

3. I already heard of these models here, it might be possible that you need to flash it. Wait for @coopervid to answer you, or @SamuriHL. They know more there.

4. That depends on your USB connection and storage type (HDD vs SSD). For a 45 GB BD it can take up to 1h, a 90GB UHD might take 1,5h. That is only an estimate, it should be less. Can't check right now.

 

[testiles]

Just here for a hot minute -- but I can answer a couple of these right quick:

1st - It would appear this three-disc set also contains a 1080 version on a BD50. Is that correct?? Is it both the Theatrical and Special Edition Version?

I'll refer you to Blu-Ray.com's information on the US 4K offering:

The Abyss 4K Blu-ray (Ultimate Collector's Edition)

The Abyss 4K Blu-ray Release Date March 12, 2024 (Ultimate Collector's Edition). Blu-ray reviews, news, specs, ratings, screenshots. Cheap Blu-ray movies and deals.

www.blu-ray.com

2nd - Is The Abyss 4K disc something AnyDVD-HD can handle?

4K discs come in different versions -- and each version is supported in AnyDVD independently.


We've had a single version of Abyss posted to the UHD UN-supported List.

It was purchased in Walmart, US and has been working since March 12.

That doesn't mean there aren't more versions out there that are or aren't supported.


In short, if AnyDVD has the key for a particular UHD version, it can play it.


Your first hurdle is to make sure your drive is able to (and set to) play UHD's in general with AnyDVD.

Then the best way to find out if your particular version works is to play it!

4th - For those of you that have "backed" this up to HDD, what is the final file size of 4K and 1080 version. (How long does it take)?

Depends how you back it up (Iso, mkv, mp4???).

I rip to Iso's, which are the same size as the Disc.

Abyss 4K is 86G and took 70 minutes.

The Blu-Ray is 47G and took 33 minutes.


Rip time is affected by so many variables, the time it took in my environment doesn't tell you a lot about yours!

As @DeepSpace touched on, it depends on the Optical Drive, its connection, the computer used, contention from parallel processes, medium rip is stored to, etc...

So those are my numbers but definitely YMMV.



T

 

[coopervid]

Greetings,

This will be my first 4K disc.

I have absolutely NO experience whatsoever on these types of discs and how to get them onto my HDD. I have been reading posts on this forum about some of the problems that arise, but they are at this point beyond me. Afraid my memory and old age have something to do with it! So, here goes...

1st - It would appear this three-disc set also contains a 1080 version on a BD50. Is that correct?? Is it both the Theatrical and Special Edition Version?

2nd - Is The Abyss 4K disc something AnyDVD-HD can handle? Is it as simple as putting the disc in the drive and clicking go?

3rd - I have a BH16NS55 (LG) drive I got in 2017. How can I tell if this drive can handle the 4K? Supposedly its spec'd as BDXL rated.

4th - For those of you that have "backed" this up to HDD, what is the final file size of 4K and 1080 version. (How long does it take)?

Appreciate in advance any advice offered. I'm afraid tech is getting somewhat beyond me these days.

3rd. If it is not flashed yet you need to flash it's firmware. A drive like yours from 2017 should be compatible. Follow the guide.

Guide for flashing UHD drives for AnyDVD

This is a first attempt to write a comprehensive guide for flashing BD (UHD / 4k) drives for the use with AnyDVDHD. There are so-called "UHD friendly drives" that have an unintentional loophole in the firmware and there are the so-called "UHD official drives" that have then closed this loophole...

forum.redfox.bz

 

[Electron003]

Thanks very much for the info. Lots to figure out.

I realised after I posted I should have mentioned I use CloneBD with AnyDVD-HD.

I have not purchased the disc set yet - it's here -> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CSZBDD8L/

Wanted to make sure my setup could deal with it before I went ahead with the purchase. My LG BH16NS55 handles 1080 blurays, but I guess 4K ones are different. I do have a Panasonic DVR with a 4K rated disc drive in it, but I have never used it to watch anything on disc.

Guess I should ask if the 4K version is that much better to look at than the 1080 one. Never seen any 4K original content. Blu-ray.com's video rating seems to give a slightly higher rating to the 1080 version. Wow...86Gb is a big file to deal with

Reading the guide now.

 

[testiles]

I use CloneBD with AnyDVD-HD.

Ah, so now in addition to the other factors, rip time also depends on whether you're making a Complete or Partial copy, and whether you're compressing to a smaller size.

Compression in particular in CloneBD seriously increases rip time!

Especially with UHD's!

My LG BH16NS55 handles 1080 blurays, but I guess 4K ones are different.

For sure!

Guess I should ask if the 4K version is that much better to look at than the 1080 one.

Should be, if you have a 4K TV/Monitor (more detail, truer colors, better dynamics to light-and-shadow).


... And good eyes -- I find as my vision is getting worse over time, Blu-Rays and UHD's are starting to look more and more alike :=P. LOL!

Wow...86Gb is a big file to deal with

Yeah, UHD's can be as large as 100G -- but it's all relative.

I remember when we used to think an 8G DVD was huge in the day. :=)

Now with faster computers and drives and more storage readily available, that's a drop in the bucket.

100G will undoubtedly be consider the same one day...



T

 

[Electron003]

Thanks T

I've gone ahead and ordered the disc-set.

I'll probably just stick with the 1080 version. I'll give the 4K one a go, but if it's a hassle I'm not interested. I'm more than happy with good 1080.

Yeah...I don't compress the titles and have the movie only in an MKV.

Going to take about two weeks to get to me, so will have to wait and see what transpires.

 

[SamuriHL]

Some more info for you...

Abyss 4k is Dolby vision. Meaning it's pretty much the highest picture quality you can get at home. Now the color grading has been controversial to some people but I enjoyed it. If you have Dolby vision equipment this is the way to go. However, if you're doing mkv, clonebd doesn't support creating that. And you need a player like the shield that can handle playing an mkv in Dolby vision anyway.

Now for the not great news. That LG drive of yours may have problems reading the 4k disc. It's triple layer and LG and Asus drives don't tend to like that. I'm not saying you'll definitely have problems but it's likely it will fail to read completely.

But the 4k on a proper setup is most definitely worth it.

Sent from my SM-S928U1 using Tapatalk

 

[Electron003]

However, if you're doing mkv, clonebd doesn't support creating that. And you need a player like the shield that can handle playing an mkv in Dolby vision anyway.

So...do you mean CloneBD doesn't do Dolby Vision via MKV?? If that is the case, then what - CloneBD to BD folder then MKVToolNix to MKV?

Good, I play my media on a Shield to 4K OLED. Do I have to do anything to make it work on the Shield?

LG | Asus -> what's new. Always something seeming to be blocking us. I'll probably just stick to the 1080 version if that is the case.

Getting too old to be bothered nowadays

 

[testiles]

I've gone ahead and ordered the disc-set.... Going to take about two weeks to get to me, so will have to wait and see what transpires.

Cool!

If you successfully get set up to play UHD, get your Abyss 4K and find it's not supported in AnyDVD yet, you can list your title on the UN-supported List to document it and get help with title support.

Details on what "unsupported" means and more here...

List of UHDs currently UN-supported in AnyDVD

The UN-supported UHD List What are unsupported UHD's? Unsupported UHD titles generate a pop-up when scanned by AnyDVD that says the following: ---> "Cannot process request at this moment, please try again later"

forum.redfox.bz

Good luck!


T

 

[SamuriHL]

However, if you're doing mkv, clonebd doesn't support creating that. And you need a player like the shield that can handle playing an mkv in Dolby vision anyway.

So...do you mean CloneBD doesn't do Dolby Vision via MKV?? If that is the case, then what - CloneBD to BD folder then MKVToolNix to MKV?

Good, I play my media on a Shield to 4K OLED. Do I have to do anything to make it work on the Shield?

LG | Asus -> what's new. Always something seeming to be blocking us. I'll probably just stick to the 1080 version if that is the case.

Getting too old to be bothered nowadays

Right clonebd doesn't support Dolby vision in mkv properly. So nothing will recognize and play it. Quite bluntly I use makemkv for that part.

On the shield you need to use either Plex or the latest builds of Kodi. I prefer Kodi for Dolby vision playback.

As for the drive, try it. See what happens. Worse case you get read errors and it fails. What I do is use anydvd to create an ISO that I then use with makemkv to create the mkv. If you get read errors carefully clean the disc with a microfiber cloth and try again.

Trust me, it's really worth getting the 4k iso created.

Sent from my SM-S928U1 using Tapatalk

 

[George++]

1st - It would appear this three-disc set also contains a 1080 version on a BD50. Is that correct?? Is it both the Theatrical and Special Edition Version?

There are two BDs in the 3 disc set. One is the movie, in both the theatrical and special editions. The 2nd BD is bonus features.

The digital code will unlock both versions of the movie, the special edition is classified as a special feature.

The movie BD is rather bare-bones, and switching between the theatrical and special editions is a bit confusing at first.

Trust me, it's really worth getting the 4k iso created.

Currently my PC drive doesn't even recognize the 4K disc. AnyDVD active or not. Not surprising considering it is WH16NS40.

I don't have a 4K standalone player either, so right now buying something on 4K is as useful to me as HD-DVD discs. Also, my PCs are not "hefty" enough to really take advantage of a 4K iso.

Eventually I will get a drive capable of reading/writing 4K, along with a standalone player. Money, why does it always have to be money....

 

[testiles]

...switching between the theatrical and special editions is a bit confusing at first.

Yeah, because the option to do so is buried under "Set Up" instead of front-and-center on the Main Menu where you'd expect...

Currently my PC drive doesn't even recognize the 4K disc. AnyDVD active or not. Not surprising considering it is WH16NS40.

I don't have a 4K standalone player either... Eventually I will get a drive capable of reading/writing 4K...

I was in the same boat as you -- no standalone UHD player currently available and my NS40 started choking on any 3-layer UHD it tried to read (ie, over 60-some G).


Wound up buying this USB drive...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BC9F98J?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder_k1_1_7&amp=&crid=113PHE695PNDI&amp=&sprefix=archgon

So far it's been handling pretty much any Disc I throw at it.

Between it and the NS40, I'm covered!

Also, my PCs are not "hefty" enough to really take advantage of a 4K iso.

Now, that's another matter.

I'm currently using an i7 laptop and it handles UHD's - but barely.

A beefy Desktop is on my to-do list. :=)




T

 

[George++]

I'm currently using an i7 laptop and it handles UHD's - but barely.

All 3 of my PCs are i5s. All 3 are x64 CPUs, 4 cores. 2 PCs Win 10 Pro x64, the third Win 10 home x86.

To say they are under-powered in being generous.

About the x86, preinstalled Win 7 OS from the PC recycle store. The place all 3 PCs are from.

Even the video cards in the x64 machines are low-rent nVidia 1030/1060. The x86 machine has on the mobo video.

For me buying a standalone 4K player may be the less expensive route at this time. Still won't be soon.

Snakes Money, why does it always have to be snakes money...

 

[testiles]

For me buying a standalone 4K player may be the less expensive route at this time.

Sounds like you may be right.

Snakes Money, why does it always have to be snakes money...

Ok, now I get where this is from, lol.



T

 

[Electron003]

Right clonebd doesn't support Dolby vision in mkv properly. So nothing will recognize and play it. Quite bluntly I use makemkv for that part.

On the shield you need to use either Plex or the latest builds of Kodi. I prefer Kodi for Dolby vision playback.

As for the drive, try it. See what happens. Worse case you get read errors and it fails. What I do is use anydvd to create an ISO that I then use with makemkv to create the mkv. If you get read errors carefully clean the disc with a microfiber cloth and try again.

Trust me, it's really worth getting the 4k iso created.

Sent from my SM-S928U1 using Tapatalk

Thanks for this. Only found out about MakeMKV yesterday, so trying to figure it out.

My Shield is running Kodi 19.1 (Matrix I think). Seems that isn't good enough to run DV. I've forgotten how to upgrade, so won't be changing it any time soon.

Just have to wait and see about my drive and whether it can read the disc. Will probably just throw it into the Panasonic DVR and see if it will play. Might get DV that way? Currently at this point in my life, I don't like changing things as it's too difficult with my memory.

My Desktop isn't a top-end machine (anymore), but it's still does okay. Only time is going to tell.

Hiding the SE version under setup sounds suspect. Sometimes I wonder if the people that make these things actually even use them!

Thanks again.

 

[DeepSpace]

buying something on 4K is as useful to me as HD-DVD discs

I can play (and copy) them

 

[SamuriHL]

To update Kodi just open the play store on the shield and go into the app update section. It'll be available there. It's been released since the beginning of the month and will play Dolby vision no problem.

Sent from my SM-S928U1 using Tapatalk

 

[Electron003]

To update Kodi just open the play store on the shield and go into the app update section. It'll be available there. It's been released since the beginning of the month and will play Dolby vision no problem.

Sent from my SM-S928U1 using Tapatalk

I have a funny feeling I side-loaded my Kodi install using something called adblink. (There would've been a reason I chose to to it this way but I don't remember - nor am I convinced I did it this way). Been looking for my notes, but so far no luck!
After being caught out with things changing, I am unwilling to make any mods to my current shield installation.
However, I am considering a second shield -> although I've been unable to find one online here in NZ. Nothing is ever easy!

 

[George++]

I was in the same boat as you -- no standalone UHD player currently available and my NS40 started choking on any 3-layer UHD it tried to read (ie, over 60-some G).


Wound up buying this USB drive...

That drive requires USB 3.0. My 3 PCs are 2.0. All three are recycled cases and added parts, at least 8 years old and were not top-of-the-line even when the original PC was new. I am a cheapo MOFO.

For a bit more I can get a decent low-end standalone UHD player on Amazon. I will wait unto Christmas rolls around for all the good deals.